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Tarin Ardalion
Tarin Ardalion Grand Inquisitor of the House of Levant, The Black Hand (Played by the_druid_droid) D.O.B. : MM/DD/YYYY (47) Eye Color ''': Light Blue '''Hair Color : Gray Race/Ethnicity ': Human '''Affiliation ': House of Levant '''Appearance Tarin is a tall, thin man with severe features and ice-blue eyes beneath a high forehead. His hair has gone almost completely gray, but it is possible to see that it was once black in his younger days. In public, Tarin wears long black robes trimmed in silver over a hidden coat of light mail, and is usually accompanied by one or more black-armored bodyguards. His posture is always exact, and he carries himself with a regal bearing, tending to look down on anyone he considers inferior. In private, particularly when he is working in the Halls of Truth, Tarin is more informal, trading the trappings of high society for a simpler close-fitting tunic, better suited to the business of interrogation. 'Personality' To an outsider, Tarin appears to be an intelligent and refined individual, well-groomed for his place amongst nobles and the wealthy scions of ancient houses. He may appear taciturn and even disdainful to some, but those able to earn his respect or pique his interest will find him an able conversationalist with a breadth of knowledge concerning literature, art, magic and culture. He is also known to enjoy toying verbally with those less powerful than himself, taking great pleasure in making them squirm. When he is engaged in a professional capacity, a very different side to his personality emerges. In these cases, Tarin is a relentless, nearly obsessive, hunter and an absolutely pitiless interrogator. Although he retains something of his carefully honed composure even in these moments, there is a bestial, almost inhuman presence lurking just behind his rigidly-set features during interrogations and pursuits. Tarin is aware of the duality and contrast present in the two branches of his personality, but rather than feeling shame or incongruity, he relishes the disconnect between his public and private engagements. Certainly, nothing provides him more amusement when chatting with a particularly boring noble than imagining how they would react to being a guest in the Halls of Truth. 'History' Long ago in his youth, Tarin worked as an adventurer for hire, until the House of Levant contracted him to manage some delicate business for them. In the course of that assignment, Tarin discovered that he enjoyed proximity to power and the freedom to indulge his more brutal impulses. As a result, Tarin remained allied with the House of Levant even after his contract expired. Since then he has served them as an instrument of investigation and punishment, pursuing heretical magic users, escaped slaves, and enemies of the House. Now though, Tarin has risen high enough in the ranks of Levant that he leaves most investigation and other day-to-day business to his network of spies and underlings. When it comes time to extract answers or inflict punishment, however, Tarin prides himself in making a personal appearance, and he also makes a point of joining in the hunt for particularly high-stakes quarry. Although rumors of the Black Hand's brutal tactics have penetrated almost the whole of Taelarys' society, the true nature of Tarin's work for Levant is typically left as something of a politely unspoken understanding in most social situations. Indeed, the Grand Inquisitor often introduces himself as Lord High Physician to the Arch Magister, although this is more out of deference to the Arch Magister's wishes and his own dark sense of humor than any perceived impropriety. 'Advantages' *Cultured I (Uncommon) *Leadership II (40) - Levant's Spies (Spy I, Common; Weapon Expertise (Crossbow), Uncommon) *Bodyguard I (Marcos) - (Fighter I, Common) *Pain Mastery II (Common) *Iron Will I (Rare) 'Story Elements' *Varish *The Inquisition *The Defiant *The Under-City *The Halls of Truth *The House of Levant *Healing Magic